The porcupine, whose scientific name is "haozhu" (porcupine), is a rodent covered in spines.

The porcupine, whose scientific name is "haozhu" (porcupine), is the general name for animals of the family Hystricidae in the order Rodentia. Although the word "zhu" (pig) appears in its name, it is not related to the domestic pig; instead, it belongs to the rodents along with rats and guinea pigs. Its most striking feature is the large number of hard spines growing on its back, flanks and tail; these spines are specialized from hair and normally lie flat against the body, but are erected to defend against enemies when danger threatens.

Porcupines are mostly active at night, hiding by day in rock crevices or burrows they dig themselves. They feed on plants and often gnaw bark, bamboo shoots, roots and tubers, and fallen fruit. Folk legend has it that they can shoot their spines out like arrows, but this is a misunderstanding; the spines can only pierce an animal that comes into direct contact with them and cannot be actively fired.

In the broad sense, porcupines include the Old World porcupine family and the New World porcupine suborder. The species commonly found in China is the Chinese porcupine, mainly distributed in the mountainous forest areas of the southern provinces; there are also closely related species such as the brush-tailed porcupine. Thanks to their burrows and spines, they have few natural enemies in the wild, but young animals and individuals during molting are relatively vulnerable and depend more on concealed shelters.

It should be noted that the porcupine is a protected wild animal, and hunting, trading and eating it without authorization are all illegal. In the past, special breeding was carried out in a few places; today, captive breeding and commercial utilization must also obtain a license in accordance with the law. At the edges of mountain forests, porcupines gnaw bark and crops, sometimes coming into conflict with farmers; protection should rely mainly on fencing and repellents rather than capture and harm.